DOPE MAG Cover Shoot in Hollywood, CA

At a fun, fly and fearlessly forward-thinking 16-years-young, Cymphonique Miller is DOPE Magazine’s youngest cover girl ever. The articulate and charismatic pretty person took a moment out from recording her debut album, filming “How to Rock” episodes, and visiting elementary schools nationwide with “Let The Kids Grow Foundation” for this DOPE MAG cover Exclusive with staffer Arionne Alyssa. Shout out to all the ‘Nique Freaks! #BYOU

Here is an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Arionne Alyssa: AA) Happy belated birthday! What was the best part about celebrating your Sweet Sixteen?

(Cymphonique Miller: CM) The best part was having all of the people that have had a huge effect on my life in one place. It doesn’t really happen that often but I got to see my friends from my old school, my parents, and friends from out-of-town. That’s what really made it a special night.

(AA) You are really close to your fans and they are really close to you. Why do you think your fans relate to you so much?

(CM) I’ve just always been about positivity. I see a lot of young people out there and it’s so easy to get caught up in thinking that you need to be a certain way. With my fans, they motivate me and I motivate them. It’s not about being perfect, but it’s about being yourself. I’ve sort of always been about that. It’s how I was raised. I have a clothing line called BYOU (Be Your Own You) and that message has just seemed to click with fans. Technology makes it so easy. I can live chat with fans, talk to my fans on Twitter. I love seeing my fans on Twitter. That’s the best.

(AA) You come from an extremely talented family. Is it difficult to live up to such high standards?

(CM) (Laughs!) That’s a good question. I think it would be a lie if I said, “No, there’s no pressure there.” My brother has won Billboard Music Awards, my dad sold 75 million records and has 5 Grammys and I’m still crazy enough to be in the entertainment business. I think there is pressure but I just use it as a shield for me. I never wanted to be in the industry because that’s what they were doing. It just happened to be a coincidence. It’s always been in me, but I feel like I’m running my own race. Being in a family of entertainers like mine, it makes you just want to work harder. People are going to have those stereotypes of you from the beginning. For me, it was perfect because it makes me want to dance even harder, go in on my movie roles and my TV show. It’s a great motivator for me.

(AA) Your show, Nickelodeon’s “How to Rock,” has made such a huge impact on television. What does it feel like to have a hit series?

(CM) Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to make sure that it’s really happening to me. I’ve been working hard for it and I’ve never been afraid to pay my dues so working on this show has just been an honor. I feel super blessed. All glory belongs to God so that’s how I always view it. Huge thanks to the fans for watching and supporting it. They’ve really helped the ratings skyrocket and I get to do what I love to do. To be on my own TV show and for it to be doing so well, I give big props to the fans. I remember when I used to have a shirt that said, “I should have my own TV show.” (Laughs) It’s great to see how far I’ve come.

(AA) A recurring theme of the show is how to be a good friend. Kacey’s always learning new lessons about friendship, which is something that is important at any age. What do you think is the key to maintaining friendships?

(CM) I think that if you want to maintain a good friendship, you have to be able to listen and not be so quick to pass judgment. Love with an open heart and be easy-going. With my closest friends that I’ve had for a long time, there’s no drama, no one trying to compete. We can just hang out, act silly, and be ourselves. I think that being able to just hang out and be yourself is important in finding your real friends because they’ll accept you for who you are.

See Cymphonique‘s 12-page spread & Read her Full Cover Story in the upcoming Ambition Onyx Edition #011 of DOPE Magazine. Coming Soon!

VISIT Cymphonique’s Official Site

FOLLOW Cymphonique on Twitter

WATCH Her Hit Nickelodeon Series “How to Rock”

VISIT Cymphonique’s Fashionable Foundation #BYOU

Cop the AMBITION Issue of DOPE Magazine